What does a gardener do?
Gardeners design, create, maintain and manage small and large gardens and green spaces. On a day-to-day basis, they trim and prune hedges, shrubs and trees, manage irrigation and fertilisation, and use mowing equipment. Gardeners also provide seasonal care for plants and adapt their services to the changing weather conditions throughout the year.
A gardener works outdoors and is physically active all day. Pest control and plant cultivation and transplantation, as well as ground maintenance, are also part of their remit.
Gardener skills and qualifications
A successful gardener typically needs to have the following skills and aptitudes:
- Likes working outdoors
- Knowledge of plant care and gardening techniques
- Ability to operate mowing and pruning equipment
- Physically able to perform required duties
- Attention to detail
- Safety-conscious
Gardener experience requirements
Even budding gardeners without a formal qualification or professional experience will often have a fair amount of practical experience gained in their leisure time. Some candidates may have attended a professional gardening course to learn some basic theoretical and practical gardening, cultivation and horticulture skills. Others may come from an agricultural or farming background.
Look out for candidates who have an appropriate licence and are able to drive a tractor, for example, to use plant protection products, if your role requires this.
Gardener education and training requirements
Working as a gardener in Australia does not require any formal qualifications, although schooling should have been completed to at least Year 10.
Most gardeners will decide to complete a vocational qualification at TAFE, such as the Certificate III in Horticulture, the Certificate III in Parks and Gardens, the Certificate III in Landscape Construction or the Certificate IV in Permaculture. These courses usually include an apprenticeship, giving candidates valuable practical experience.
Highly motivated candidates who have completed Year 12 may opt to obtain a Bachelor’s of Horticulture or a Bachelor’s of Environmental Management. This additional qualification will give them an advantage over other candidates for more senior positions or challenging environments.
Gardener salary expectations
According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a gardener is $30.04 per hour. Notably, the major cities of Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth are all in the national average range, while Sydney’s rates are somewhat lower. Some private and community organisations are also paying gardeners slightly above-average salaries.
Job description samples for similar positions
There are a couple of roles that are similar to a gardener. Take a look at their descriptions to see if you need to hire one of these experts instead of a gardener:
Gardener job description FAQs
Who does a gardener usually work for?
Gardeners are hired by a wide range of employers, ranging from nurseries and ground maintenance companies to landscaping companies, businesses or private individuals. Schools, public parks and botanical gardens also offer great opportunities for gardeners.
What are the working conditions of a gardener like?
Gardening takes place entirely outdoors and in greenhouses, so a gardener needs to enjoy being outside and be comfortable working in various weather conditions or potentially humid greenhouses. Gardener is a very active role that involves a lot of hands-on labour. The nature of the duties, therefore, makes a certain level of physical fitness essential in order for a gardener to perform their role successfully.
What is the difference between a gardener and a horticulturist?
Gardeners and horticulturists are similar in that they both work with plants, but their specific tasks are quite different. While a horticulturist is more concerned with researching aspects such as plant propagation, crop production or plant biochemistry with the aim of increasing the yield of crops, for example, a gardener is more hands-on and personally takes care of growing and maintaining plants and trees.
What career progression might a gardener expect?
Once a gardener has gained several years of experience, they may want to take on a role with more responsibility . This can be a more office-based managerial position responsible for supervising and coordinating grounds maintenance or landscaping work. Another popular career step is to become head gardener, which is a more hands-on role, directly overseeing a team of gardeners or groundsmen.
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